diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 2bd09c45..f8bd73dd 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Imports:
     Rgraphviz,
     data.table,
     dplyr,
-    scales(>= 1.3.0),
+    scales,
     matrixStats,
     RProtoBufLib,
     flowCore(>= 2.1.1),
diff --git a/R/GatingSet_Methods.R b/R/GatingSet_Methods.R
index 8e80deef..4830a1e5 100644
--- a/R/GatingSet_Methods.R
+++ b/R/GatingSet_Methods.R
@@ -1099,12 +1099,12 @@ setMethod("transform",
 transformerList <- function (from, trans)
 {
   from <- unique(from)
-  if(is(trans, "transform"))trans <- list(trans)
+  if(valid_scales_transformer(trans))trans <- list(trans)
   if (!is.character(from))
     stop("'from' must be character vectors.", call. = FALSE)
   if (!is.list(trans))
     trans <- list(trans)
-  if (!all(sapply(trans, is, "transform")))
+  if (!all(sapply(trans, valid_scales_transformer)))
     stop("'trans' must be a list of transformer objects (generated by scales::trans_new method)", call. = FALSE)
   trans <- rep(trans, length(from))
   trans <- trans[1:length(from)]
diff --git a/R/parse_transformer.R b/R/parse_transformer.R
index dd7dc2b3..cfd07f2e 100644
--- a/R/parse_transformer.R
+++ b/R/parse_transformer.R
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #' @return a list that represents the data structure that is ready to be passed to Rcpp API 'set_transformations'
 #' @noRd
 parse_transformer <- function(x){
-  stopifnot(is(x, "transform"))
+  stopifnot(valid_scales_transformer(x))
   transobj <- as.list(environment(x[["transform"]]))
   transobj[["type"]] <- x[["name"]]
   if(transobj[["type"]] == "flowJo_biexp")
@@ -17,3 +17,11 @@ parse_transformer <- function(x){
   return(transobj)
   
 }
+
+#' check whether transformers have correct scales class
+#' @return logical
+#' @noRd
+valid_scales_transformer <- function(x) {
+  # scales < 1.3.0 = "trans" | scales >= 1.30 = "transform"
+  inherits(x, "trans") || inherits(x, "transform")
+}